I can't believe how many months it's been since I updated this . It's ridiculous. In any case, after reading over the previous chapters, I got a sudden burst of inspiration. I can't say anything too exciting really happens in this chapter, sadly, but perhaps in the next one. Enjoy!
P.S – To can't.sleep20, I didn't get the idea for this from an anime. It all came from my crazy mind.
Chapter 07
Conclusions
Miiro had not come back the previous night, and Hermione had forced herself to ignore her disappointment. Sure, she had come to the conclusion that at Goukaku Magic School, as far as relationships and sex went, all is fair in love and war. It didn't matter if you were a girl or a boy…hell, it didn't matter if you were a girl and a boy, and that had piqued Hermione's interest for a while. But then, after sitting in her bed for a while, unable to sleep, she decided she was both intrigued and afraid of it.
For as long as she could remember, romance was never of any interest to her. Even now, having gone to that dance with one of the most popular girls' in the school, she was still completely uninterested in passing the "friendship point". She wasn't even sure she wanted there to be a friendship point, but then, why had she suddenly tensed when Miiro had simply touched her? And why had she shivered? Why had she felt…excited? She quickly re-decided that she would stop this little game she had going with her roommate and stop trying to examine her as if she were some interesting new specimen in a science lab, and that she would instead distance herself from the attractive young woman.
It seemed, though, that after arriving at breakfast, Hermione realized that Miiro was the least of her problems that morning. She was immediately bombarded by all of her new friends, who pulled her into the cafeteria and their usual seats the minute they saw her, half of them excitedly grinning at her, half of them giving her pure looks of death.
"Tell us all of the juicy details, Hime-san!" Keiro began, and for once she was out of her usual sweet character and into a stereotypical teenage girl character.
"Yeah, spill all ready!" Shiko added, being one of the girls that were grinning.
"What are you all talking about?" Hermione asked, completely oblivious. Her ponderings of the previous night had made her change a bit, much to her surprise seeing as how people usually didn't change, in this case literally, over night. She was no longer the stumbling, stuttering new girl.
"Oh, don't try and play that little innocent act, Hime-san!" Shiori said in an aggravated voice. "Everyone knows that Miiro-kun followed you after that scene last night."
"…Everyone?" Suddenly, Hermione felt herself slip back into the stumbling, stuttering new girl again, though.
"Now tell us all what happened!" They all said in unison, officially freaking Hermione out.
"You like Miiro-kun, don't you, Hermione!?" Shiori all but shouted, catching just about everyone's attention. And, just at that moment, as if the devil himself was cursing her, the object of their conversation stepped into the cafeteria.
Miiro stood at the doors, a familiar look of amusement in her light brown eyes at she stared back at Hermione, just as everyone else was, obviously waiting for an answer.
"Why don't you answer, Hime-san?" Hermione's attention then focused on Ro, who had walked up to her with her usual playful smile. "Just say it. Do you like Miiro-kun or don't you?"
"U-uh…I…" Hermione stammered, looking around nervously while she felt a band of sweat form on her head.
"Understand this, Hime-san," Ro continued, stepping closer to Hermione while a confidant smile took over her features. She cupped the nervous transfer student's chin before saying, "I will get you in my sheets one day."
She strutted back to her table, and Miiro followed as if nothing had happened. Hermione then decided that she was in no mood for eating and in no shape for being around people, so simply left the cafeteria, despite her friends calls to stop her.
After Japanese language, which she was rather unenthusiastic about for the day, she continued on to all of her other classes for the morning, completely skipping lunch afterwards and deciding that she would stay in her dorm. Upon arriving there, she fell onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow and letting her arms lazily fall at her sides. She was unsure of why she seemed so exhausted all of a sudden, but brushed it to the side as her eyes began to fall shut.
"Hime-san?" Hermione shot up, not even hearing the door open before her friend spoke to her.
"K-keiro! You scared me!"
"Sorry," The girl said with a small smile before walking into the room and shutting the door behind her.
"Is something the matter?" Hermione asked with her eyebrows furrowed a bit to show her worry.
"I was about to ask you the same question."
"…Huh?"
"You know, you weren't yourself this morning, and then you just left after Miiro walked in."
"Yeah well after that little scene that Shiori caused, I hardly thought the air in the cafeteria was comfortable."
Keiro chuckled. "Yeah, well, you know how Shiori gets about Miiro-kun."
Hermione only grumbled lightly in response before bringing her arms behind her head.
"Hermione…" The student spoken to shifted her eyes to her friend, who looked down at her in return. "Is something upsetting you?"
"No," Hermione immediately replied. "I'm just fine. Why do you ask?"
A long pause followed her question, but she could only continue staring at Keiro as she looked down.
"I wish you would tell me," Keiro began again after another few moments of silence. "What you were thinking…"
Hermione frowned, watching as Keiro looked down, an obvious look of worry and sadness over her features.
"You become a different person in front of Miiro-kun. It's during moments when you're around her that I can't tell if you're the Hermione I know or some other girl that Miiro's put under some spell."
"Yes, well," Hermione replied almost bitterly. "Miiro does do that to people, doesn't she? In any case, you don't need to worry. Miiro won't bewitch me any longer."
Hermione seriously began considering if the words she spoke to Keiro had been true, though, when she stepped into Advanced User's Magic, though. Or rather, it was when Miiro caught her gaze that caused her resolve to nearly crumble. However, she had used all of her will power to tear her eyes away and instead of sitting next to Miiro as she usually did, sat on the other side of the room, near the door, while Miiro sat next to the windows. Hermione had to refrain from taking full notice of Miiro's small smirk.
The brunette's head snapped to the side at the sound of a bag being sat on the ground though, and she felt a rush of fear run over her as she looked at Miiro, who had taken the free seat next to her.
"C-can I help you?" She stammered, trying her hardest to keep her composure.
"If you won't sit by me," Miiro responded. "Then I'll sit by you. Unless, of course, you have a problem with that?"
"Why would I have a problem with that?" Hermione replied quietly, pulling out her book at the sound of Professor Kouda's voice.
"I take it you're still upset about last night." Miiro said quietly while still managing to copy down notes.
"No," Hermione said. "Why would you think that?"
The Japanese 16-year-old across from her smirked yet again. "Gee, I don't know, maybe because you're avoiding me all of a sudden."
She looked to her side, although Miiro didn't acknowledge her, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Oh, I'm avoiding you am I?"
"Why don't you explain to me why you left the cafeteria, then? Or why you didn't sit by me as usual?"
Hermione decided to focus on her notes rather than her roommate. "We shouldn't be talking during class."
Miiro's smirk only grew. "Or why you suddenly can't stand speaking to me? Face it, Granger, I scare the living shit out of you and you know it."
For some reason, that had struck a nerve, and before she knew it Hermione found herself furiously standing up and shouting, "You are the most infuriating, arrogant, obnoxious, self-righteous person I have ever met!"
"Granger," A sudden stern voice rang through the classroom, causing Hermione to realize exactly what she'd just said. "I want you to stay after class, seeing as how you can't keep your mouth shut around Houraku Miiro-san."
Hermione fell back into her seat, burying her head in her arms, only causing Miiro to smile impishly.
Man…
- - - - - - - - -- - - - -
Previews:
"If you seriously think that you scare me then you really are the most pig-headed person I've met!"
"Perhaps it's because of Miiro-kun that you are trying to push me aside?"
"Granger, are you sick?"
